Cat's Claw Looks to Repeat in Waya
Earning graded stakes status for the first time, the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares going 1 ½ miles on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, features a highly competitive field of familiar foes, including two from Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard and three from trainer Chad Brown.
The Waya, run on the Spa's inner turf course, is part of an 11-race program that is highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney and one of three turf stakes on the Whitney Day card, which also includes the $100,000 Lure and the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose.
Sheppard, who has won at least one race at the Spa since 1969, will saddle Cat's Claw, who won last year's edition of the Waya for owner Jon S. Kelly, and Chat for Augustin Stable. They each most recently come out of the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes on July 11 at Delaware Park, where Cat's Claw finished seventh after lagging far off the pace, and Chat, who closed well to finish fifth. With two victories from three starts at the Waya's distance for Cat's Claw, and a prior allowance race victory at Saratoga for Chat, both fillies figure to be a major threat in the 12-horse field.
"We're very pleased with the way they're coming up to the race but also fully aware of how tough the field is," said Sheppard. "Obviously, the purse is twice as what it used to be and now it's graded, so it's going to be tougher. We won it last year with Cat's Claw and she likes the distance. She probably got a little bit too far out of it at Delaware in her last start off a pretty slow pace, but she made up some ground and she stayed on well and galloped out strongly.
"Chat is probably a little faster than Cat's Claw but their running styles complement each other a little bit. Chat can quicken off a slow pace, versus Cat's Claw, who likes a lot of speed early to run into, but they're both nice fillies and I think they're both coming into the race well. We're not overly confident but we're hoping for the best."
Cat's Claw will leave from post position 5, Chat from post 4. Both are listed at 12-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Chad Brown will enter Goldy Espony from the rail for Swift Thoroughbreds, Hellenistic for Calumet Farm, and morning-line favorite Danza Cavallo for Michael Dubb.
At 5-1 on the morning line, the 4-year-old French-bred Goldy Espony has made four starts in North America and has picked up back-to-back victories in her only two starts this year. Last out, she won the $100,000 River Memories Stakes at 1 ½ miles on July 5 at Belmont Park.
"She's been doing real well since her last win," said Brown. "She deserves a step up in graded stakes company, as does Hellenistic."
Hellenistic, a 4-year-old filly by English Channel, started her year off with a victory at Gulfstream Park on March 12 in an optional claimer, followed up by a troubled trip traveling nine wide to finish 10th in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland. Most recently, she finished third in an optional claimer at Belmont on June 17.
With Javier Castellano in the irons, Hellenistic, 15-1, will depart from post 7.
Danza Cavallo, 3-1, enters off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Gamely on May 25at Santa Anita Park where she raced four wide into the stretch while picking up a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
From the barn of trainer Graham Motion are Kitten's Point and Eastern Belle, both listed at 6-1 on the morning line. Kitten's Point, a 5-year-old Kitten's Joy mare for Augustin Stable, has two wins from three starts this year at the distance. Last out, she closed for third in the Robert G. Dick.
Eastern Belle, who came to the Motion barn after being in the care of legendary English trainer John Gosden, has made three starts in North America, steadily improving in each. On April 15 at Keeneland she finished third in allowance race, followed by a pair of second-place finishes in the Keertana Stakes on May 16 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 New York on June 5 at Belmont.
Rounding out the field are Selenite for owners William Punk Jr. and Philip DiLeo; Robert G. Dick runner-up Queen's Parade for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; Nice Number for Right Time Racing and trainer Brad Cox; and Evidently for owner and trainer Roy Lerman.
A seasoned group of older runners will square off in the Lure as the fourth race at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course for 4-year-olds and up. Drawing the rail, Grade 3 W. L. McKnight runner-up Fixador will be making his 2015 debut for trainer Eduardo Caramori, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Brazilian-bred Under Control will make his second start off a 7 ½-month layoff under Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 2 for Motion. Multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Vyjack will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post 3 for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Charming Kitten, the only runner with a prior win over the local grass, will break with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from post 4 for Todd Pletcher. Florida-bred Manchurian High will leave from post 5 with Luis Saez in the irons for owner-trainer Lilli Kurtinecz. Reload, most recently fourth in the Forbidden Apple, will break from the outside post with Castellano for McGaughey.
Immediately preceding the three graded stakes as race 7 will be the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose, in which Daring Kathy will face 11 fillies and mares as she goes for her second straight stakes win. The 4-year-old Wildcat Heir filly earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93 in the Perfect Sting on July 3 at Belmont Park in her first start of the year and first for Brown; last year in Florida, she won the Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap, the Cellars Shiraz, the Honey Ryder and the Starfish Bay for trainer David Fawkes. Castellano will ride the 3-1 morning-line favorite from post position 9.
Tabbed at 4-1 on the morning line is the Christophe Clement-trained Stellar Path, a Group 3 winner in Europe who has hit the board in all three North American starts, including a victory in the Plenty of Grace in April at Aqueduct Racetrack and most recently a close-up third in the Grade 3 Eatontown at Monmouth Park. Joel Rosario will ride from the outside post 12.
Leaving from the rail under Irad Oritz, Jr. will be Miss Frost, who is 3-0-1 from four appearances on the Spa's turf for trainer Tom Albertrani, including a maiden victory and a third in the 2013 P. G. Johnson and victories in last year's Riskaverse and Tenski, both at a mile.
Joint Return makes her turf debut as she enters off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap, her seventh straight graded stakes appearance. Last year at Saratoga she finished second, beaten less than a length, by Stopchargingmaria in the Grade 1 Alabama. Kendrick Carmouche rides Joint Return, who will have blinkers off, from post 3.
Completing the field are the Irish-bred Tuttipaesi; A Little Bit Sassy, winner of an optional claimer at Penn National last time out; Recepta, fourth in the Eatontown; J Wonder, most recently seventh in the Grade 1 Just a Game; Nellie Cashman, third in last year's Grade 3 Ballston Spa; Pink Poppy, third in the Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap on July 4, and the Motion-trained duo of Ticking Katie, winner of her stateside debut on June 17 at Belmont Park, and Token of Love.
Source: NYRA Communications